Sidney Madden
Sidney Madden is a reporter and editor for NPR Music. As someone who always gravitated towards the artforms of music, prose and dance to communicate, Madden entered the world of music journalism as a means to authentically marry her passions and platform marginalized voices who do the same.
Originally from Boston, Madden graduated from Hofstra University in New York with a bachelor's degree in journalism and sociology. As a freelancer, she earned bylines at MTV, People's Choice, Nylon Magazine and more before joining the editorial team at storied hip-hop pillar XXL Magazine.
During her time at XXL, both as an editorial assistant and assistant editor, Madden pitched, wrote and edited news posts and features for the outlet and interviewed artists ranging from all eras and facets of rap — from Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent to Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B and Lil Uzi Vert. In addition to working on cultural touchstones like the magazine's annual Freshman Class covers, in 2016, Madden assisted in reporting out one of the magazine's seminal investigative packages, The Current Status of Every Murdered Rapper's Case, which revealed the high percentage of unsolved murders involving rappers over the last 30 years.
Madden joined the NPR Music team in 2017, serving as editorial lead for digitizing and editing music stories that air on NPR's premiere news magazine programs, Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition. In 2018, she began producing Tiny Desk Concerts with a special focus on bringing burgeoning, left-of-center artists from the worlds of R&B and hip-hop to the desk. To date, her Tiny Desk Concert productions include Jorja Smith, Megan Thee Stallion, DVSN and Snoh Aalegra. She's also created reports for on-air and digital that contextualize hip-hop culture within society's larger strata — whether it's unpacking the genius marketing of Cardi B, Tyler, The Creator's subversive heartbreak or the socioeconomics that fuel Solange's downhome Afrofuturism.
In September 2020, after two years of research, reporting and development, Madden became the co-host of Louder Than A Riot, NPR Music's first narrative investigative podcast that traces the interconnected rise of hip-hop and mass incarceration.
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Fulton County Chief Judge Ural Glanville was taken off the YSL RICO case this week after his actions in an ex parte meeting were deemed damaging to public perception of the case. -
Haiti has been defined in the public imagination by struggle and turmoil. Now in its biggest year and first in Brooklyn, the BAYO festival looks to shift focus back toward the culture. -
A new documentary by the hip-hop historian and critic dream hampton, culled from her own never-before-seen footage of rap's golden age, illustrates the hard labor for women who love the music. -
The Nigerian singer-songwriter has become one of the most sought after voices in popular music. Her debut album processes the risks and epiphanies it took to get here. -
Only days after the mogul apologized for a leaked surveillance video showing him attacking his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura, he faces new allegations of drugging and assaulting another woman. -
Is the much-hyped sequel to Renaissance a country album? In many ways, yes — but it's also a sprawling collage of disparate references, while remaining a Beyoncé album at its heart. -
The South African singer brought a homegrown genre, amapiano, to new ears with a viral hit and a Grammy. With her debut album, she wants to prove the world is ready for a full-blown African pop star. -
The rap mogul has been accused of sexual misconduct in a growing number of different civil suits since November 2023, dating back to the beginning of one of hip-hop's most influential careers. -
Recent songs by Maggie Rogers and Kacey Musgraves took NPR Music's Lars Gotrich back to a familiar sound and ethos. On this edition of 8 Tracks, we dream up a Lilith Fair lineup. -
Something's different about the arrival of the latest African pop stars on the international scene. They are finding success as a wave without compromising or catering to the American music industry.
